Need help printing ABS

[sponge14]

Hello,
I have read tons of sites on printing ABS, watched all the good Youtube videos I could find, but I am still having issues with it. I am using the Monoprice i3, and glass bed lined with a thin layer of ABS juice. I have numerous issues with corners warping, print head knocking the print off the bed, random layers splitting apart, etc. The latest print I made was for a PLA cooling fan duct and it was the closest to a successful ABS print I have made.

My ABS has the max temp of 240c on the package, and I have tried 230, 235, and 240. I have tried bed temps anywhere from 80-120c with the actual temp on the glass about 10c lower than indicated on the i3.

The leveling is another story… I spent a ton of time leveling the bed with the paper method. I even recently printed the plastic knobs to make adjusting even more accurate than the wing nuts, and did the modification where you put the lock nut on the leveling screws. I can get all 4 corners to be correct to the paper width technique, but when it starts to print the raft the nozzle seems to be much higher than where I leveled it at. It is so high that I can see the extrusion coming out and bending 90* when it hits the platform. The resulting bead of material is still round, it doesn’t get that little flatness on the top that I have read it should have.
I have not leveled at temperature, that I can see being an issue for sure and I can try that. I have not verified how perfectly flat the glass is, but I know for a fact the bed sucks and was bent way out of shape out of the box.

I also built a very nice temperature controlled enclosure to try and help. It has made me closer to successful but still not very often.

Also, I have very good success with PLA printing, it’s just this transition to ABS that’s killing me…

[Nicolas_Tokotuu]

Hi dude,

Im not a huge fan of ABS but according to your picture i would suggest that you try 220d (according to your overhang parts and the stringing the temperature seems hell too high) the lower temp. you print the better for these features. May i ask your printing speed and other basic settings? (like number of shells, infill, stuff like this in order to be more precise on my advice )
BTW why are you using such a difficult material to print? I gave up ABS a long time ago haha

[SOC3D]

Perhaps you need to find a starting point. You outlined a lot of separate issues all of which seem to stem from your bed and leveling. Is it possible to, safely, turn the bed level screws while a print is running? Also what are you using for your first layer settings? I’ve had a lot of success using glass and aquanet printing the first layer at 50% height and 200% width leveling the bed by doing a test print with 4-5 skirts and leveling the bed during this test print. Ideally to prevent warp your first layer should be smashed into the bed to just before the extruder starts skipping. Everyone has there own methods for this. This is just how I do it. Some of your other issues may be related to this so I would start with getting a really good and terrible looking first layer. You can worok on perfecting the base layer after you get the adhesion and warp issues solved.

[SOC3D]

Also, I print the first layer at about 10 degrees higher than the rest of the layers.

[Peter_Nielsen]

Hi,

I print only in ABS and have just recently started getting fantastic results.

1. Switchout to an all metal hot end like this: Wanhao i3, Monoprice Maker Select, Cocoon Create — Micro Swiss Online Store
2. Switchout feed drive gear to this: http://www.makergeeks.com/mk7drgeaikor.html
3. Remove Cooling fan assembly from printhead. “make sure wire leads are covered”
4. Get a piece of glass that fits the bed.
5. Download this: Wanhao duplicator i3 - Thingiverse
6. Use clips until you can print above.
7. Move filament off machine.
8. Create cardboard box that encloses printer.
9. Level the X-Axis Gantry that the Printhead travels on.
10. Level bed to printhead.
11. Use ABS juice and apply a thin coating to bed.
12. Immediately turn bed temp to 90 deg C. This helps set the juice.
13. Using Cura 2.1.2, Change these settings:
    support_roof_enable = True
    material_bed_temperature = 90
    infill_sparse_density = 100
    material_print_temperature = 250
    material_flow = 100
    retraction_enable = False
    speed_infill = 20
    speed_print = 20
    retraction_amount = 6.5
    support_pattern = concentric
    support_enable = True
    speed_topbottom = 15
    cool_fan_enabled = False
    speed_layer_0 = 20
    speed_travel = 20
    support_angle = 45
    layer_height = 0.06
14. After your print has started, go into the extruder settings on your machine and turn the temp up to 260 deg C.
15. Attached is a print that just completed with those same settings.

Good Luck!